This week on the Bit Improv Comedy Network, Billy and Gail kick things off with Mayor Joe of Farmington, Michigan, whose generosity and good humor are on full display as he shares the city's history, its Quaker roots, its famously welcoming small-town vibe, its abundance of coffee houses, and the distinctive character that makes Farmington feel like its own little world — before graciously allowing the BIT Crew to do what they do best: lovingly satirize it all.

From there, things spiral beautifully into a full-on podcast-town fever dream, where civic pride, local personalities, and unchecked microphone access turn community spirit into pure comic chaos.

Charming at first. Then increasingly not normal.

Apologies

The BIT Comedy Network apologizes to the residents of Farmington, Mayor Joe, Farmington coffee houses, Quakers, local historians, the Warner family, ghost hunters, tax preparers, lawyers, accountants, tarot readers, notaries public, public safety professionals, podcast producers, silent coffee shop patrons, anti-outsider committees, front porch enthusiasts, NASA, astronauts, and anyone who expected this episode to remain a normal civic interview.

Director and Creator: Billy Merritt
Producer, Editor & Graphics: Hill Kane

Featuring:
Mayor Joe LaRussa (Himself)
Billy Merrit (Himself, Narrator)
Amber Bellsdale (Joanne Wilson, Room for Improvement Pod Host; Emily, Silent Coffee Shop; Ground Control Barrista #2)
Luke Bovard (Luke Jones, Podcast Producer - Luke's Podcast Hut)
Hill Kane (Gail; Mrs. Stephani Wilson-Jones, Room for Improvement Pod Host; Ground Control Barrista #1)
Don Slovin (Himself, All Kinds of Quaker Foods Pod Host, Astronaut #1)
Jim Tripp (Jerry 2.0/"Receptionist", Saftey Force Dispatch Commander/Rude Podcast Guest)
Katya Vasilaky (Jerry 1.0; Lana, Farmington Safety Force Pod Host)
Angela Washko (Your Boy Bobby, Apothecary Coffee; Jenny Warner, Farmington Safety Force Pod Host)
Gary Yorke (Himself, All Kinds of Quaker Foods Pod Host; Chef Bob, Caffeine Heaven; Astronaut #2)

Music: "Shark Bait" performed by Little Kahunas | Produced by the late, great Peter Miller.

Hosting: Libsyn

"The BIT" and "The BIT Improv Comedy Network" are trademarks owned by Billy Merritt.
© 2024–2026 Billy Merritt. All rights reserved.
Inquiries: TheBitComedyNetwork@gmail.com
Website: BITComedyNetwork.com

This month on Mainstage, host Billy Merritt welcomes longtime collaborator and improv legend Professor Michael Delaney to talk about one very specific place: Dobbs Ferry, New York.

What begins as a casual conversation about a small Hudson River town quickly spirals into a wildly improvised audio adventure featuring cursed skeletons, extremely unreliable restaurant hours, entrepreneurial ghosts, and a Dalmatian with a Revolutionary War résumé.

Michael shares stories from his years living in Dobbs Ferry, raising a kid outside New York City, biking the Croton Aqueduct, and navigating the town's mysterious dining scene (including a sushi restaurant that specializes in being closed).

From there, the Mainstage ensemble builds an entire comedic universe inspired by the town's lore.

• Billy Merritt interviews Professor Michael Delaney about life in Dobbs Ferry

• The Croton Aqueduct, Hudson River history, and the town's Revolutionary War connections

• The legend of Sushi Mike's — the sushi restaurant that may or may not ever be open

• Ernesto the tomato-growing landlord

• A cursed British skeleton named Derek searching for closure

• A paranormal podcast investigating the town's supernatural problems

• Firehouse drama between jealous Dalmatians

• Graveyard rubbings, haunted cats, and questionable tourism opportunities

• A desperate mission to obtain sushi and lift an ancient curse from the town

The BIT Comedy Network apologizes to the residents of Dobbs Ferry, the Hudson River Valley, George Washington, Martha Washington, British soldiers of the Revolutionary War, cursed skeletons, Dalmatians, the Dobbs Ferry Fire Department, Croton Aqueduct engineers, Ernesto, people sensitive to onions, paranormal podcasters, cursed cats, parents of skeleton-collecting children, and anyone who tried to get a reservation at Sushi Mike's.

Director and Creator: Billy Merritt
Producer, Editor & Graphics: Hill Kane

Featuring:
Michael Delaney
Billy Merrit
Amber Bellsdale
Daniel Belum
Dean Aisles
Don Slovin
Flannery Wilson
Hill Kane
J. Jaramillo
Jason Luna
Jim Tripp

Music: "Shark Bait" performed by Little Kahunas | Produced by the late, great Peter Miller

Hosting: Libsyn

"The BIT" and "The BIT Comedy Network" are trademarks owned by Billy Merritt.
© 2024–2026 Billy Merritt. All rights reserved.
Inquiries: TheBitComedyNetwork@gmail.com

Jay Sukow's Glenwood stories spark a full-scale town meltdown featuring pizza wars, gossip culture, jailhouse romance, and a rapidly disappearing population.

Billy was scheduled to host Jay.
Billy refused to take the interview.
There may have been… financial tension.

Gail stepped in. Everyone survived.

Jay takes us back to Glenwood, Illinois — a place where:

• Everyone knows your business

• The Glenwood School for Boys is a constant threat

• Teens sneak beers in the forest preserve

• Deep dish is strictly for tourists

Real Chicago pizza is tavern-style. Square cut. No debate.

From Jay's hometown memories, the ensemble creates:

• A gossip podcast about everyone's business

• Murder-for-hire teenagers (discount pricing)

• Competing pizza wars

• Jailhouse proms

• Funeral pizza parties

• Oompa Loompa labor disputes

• Alien population control

Population: decreasing.

We apologize to:
Glenwood, Jay, deep dish fans, Oompa Loompas, and the funeral industry.

We do not apologize for tavern-style pizza.

Director and Creator: Billy Merritt
Producer, Editor & Graphics: Hill Kane
Production assistance: Jim Tripp, Amber Bellsdale (Thank you both)

Featuring:
Jay Sukow
Amber Bellsdale
Daniel Belum
Don Slovin
Flannery Wilson
Gary Yorke
Hill Kane
J. Jaramillo
Jason Spiro
Jim Tripp
Katya Vasilaky

Music: "Memfish" performed by Little Kahunas | Produced by Peter Miller

Hosting: Libsyn

"The BIT" and "The BIT Comedy Network" are trademarks owned by Billy Merritt.
© 2024–2026 Billy Merritt. All rights reserved.
Inquiries: TheBitComedyNetwork@gmail.com